


Those Were the Days

by romeokijai



Category: Revolution (TV)
Genre: Birthday Parties, Charlie's POV, Drinking, F/M, Family Fluff, Family Gatherings, Flashbacks, Fluff, Grownup!Charlie still crushing on Bass, Humor, Little!Charlie crushing on Bass, Matheson Family Shenanigans, Reminiscing, Smut, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-04
Updated: 2015-08-04
Packaged: 2018-04-12 21:14:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4494981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/romeokijai/pseuds/romeokijai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Charlie's 24th birthday, and the Matheson/Monroe crew have gathered to celebrate. Stories from the past are told and present day truths revealed about her feelings toward a certain family friend. </p><p>No blackout AU. One shot. A belated birthday fic for the ever-lovely iwilltry_tocarryon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Those Were the Days

**Author's Note:**

  * For [iwilltry_tocarryon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/iwilltry_tocarryon/gifts).



 

**A/N: A late birthday present is better than no present at all, right? This one goes out to iwilltry_tocarryon. I hope you enjoy it, girl!! xoxo**

* * *

 

The cool evening breeze kisses my skin, and I let out a sigh of gratitude. It’s been a good day – no, a _great_ day. My heart is full, and I couldn’t have asked for a better birthday party. If tonight’s any indication, I have a feeling my 24 th year is going to be a good one.

The party was pretty low key, which is surprising, considering the fact that my mother organized and hosted the whole thing, but it actually all worked out fine. It was just me and about a dozen of my closest friends and family members, gathered together in my parents’ backyard for a summer barbecue. We ate, we laughed, we played games, and we drank. A lot. Because…well, this _is_ a Matheson gathering.

Technically, the party ended a couple of hours ago, so most of my guests have already left, but a few of us – Nora, Miles, Bass, Danny, and I – are still out here, sitting around the fire pit and enjoying this gorgeous, starlit night.

“Mm…this is so good,” I moan after taking a sip from the bottle in my hand. Amongst my many birthday gifts is this amazing case of imported beer. I’ve tried three so far, and the current bottle is my favorite. I sigh again and close my eyes, savoring its crisp taste.

My eyes are still closed when I hear my little brother snort from a few feet way.

“The whiskey I got you is better,” Danny says. “But then…you’d know that if you’d actually bothered to try it.”

“Kid, you’ve been 21 for what? Five minutes?” Bass responds before I have a chance to.

I open my eyes and find Danny frowning at our closest family friend.  

“Try three months, you asshole,” Danny sneers. “What’s your point, anyway?”

“My point is, just because you can legally buy booze now doesn’t suddenly make you an expert on good whiskey.”

“Pfft. I’m a Matheson.” Danny rolls his eyes. “I know exactly what good whiskey tastes like. It’s in my genes.”

“Okay, the kid might have a point there,” Miles chuckles and takes a sip from his own bottle.

“Well, congratulations, Danny,” Bass teases. “You belong to a family of alcoholics.”

“Says the man who just gave a member of said family a case of imported beer for her birthday,” Nora quips. “Which, I gotta say….” She turns her attention to me. “Is it any wonder that your favorite gift is the one from Monroe?”

“Of course it’s her favorite,” Bass says. “I’m a damn fine gift giver.”

“Uh huh.” Nora knowingly tilts her head to the side. “Sure. That’s it.” 

I frown at her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Just then, Danny fake coughs and mutters something under his breath that I miss, but I immediately note the smug smiles that appear on both Miles and Nora’s faces. I look over at Bass and he simply shrugs. He looks just as confused as me, which makes me frown harder. I glare at the other three but especially at my brother.

“What? Don’t look at me like that.” Danny cracks a smile. “Bass could give you an old rock as a gift and you’d still swoon.”

“Yup,” Nora jumps in before I can comment on the absurdity of Danny’s claim. “Next year we should all agree not to tell you who got you what and make you decide which gift you like the best before anyone tells you which one came from Bass.”

“She’ll still pick mine, because like I said, I’m a damn fine gift giver,” Bass repeats, then winks at me. “Right, Charlotte?”

“You guys are all idiots,” Miles snorts. “My gift was the best one, and you all know it.  If Charlie weren’t obsessed with – uh – imported beer, you would all see it for yourselves.”

I nearly jump when Danny starts laughing – so loud and hard, in fact, that for half a second I panic, thinking he’s having an asthma attack. But my sympathy for my brother is short-lived when I realize he’s actually just laughing at me, and I watch, unamused, as he nearly falls out of his chair. Idiot.

“What?” Bass and I eventually question at the same time, which just sends our three companions into an even louder chorus of laugher.

“Imported beer!” Danny practically wheezes. “Yeah. _That’s_ what she’s obsessed with.”

Nora’s wiping tears by this point. “Yes, this ‘imported beer’ obsession has been long standing. When did it start? When you were five or so?”

“Okay, seriously. What the hell are you guys talking about?” I ask as I glance over at Bass. I expect to find some sort of moral support from him but quickly discover that I’ve been betrayed. He’s now laughing, too, the jackass.

“You’re all just jealous,” he tells the others, a smug smirk overtaking his scruffy features.

“Jealous,” Miles scoffs. “Riiiight.”

“Yeah. Jealous,” Bass insists. “Over the fact that I’m Charlie’s favorite.”

“You’re my favorite? Oh really?” I cross my arms over my chest. “You sound awfully sure of yourself.”

“Oh, come on. I’ve always been your favorite, and you know it.” He flashes me that thousand-watt smile of his, and suddenly my insides feel really warm.

It’s the fire. Or the beer. Right? It has to be.

I clear my throat before challenging back, “What makes you so sure?”

Bass lets out a sharp chuckle while the others quietly snicker. “Are you serious, Charlie?”

“What?”

He rolls his eyes but is still smiling. “Let me tell you about your 5th birthday….”

 

\---

 

She wouldn’t stop crying. Hadn’t stopped for a solid five minutes. Her face was all swollen, blue eyes rimmed with red, cherub cheeks glistening with tears.

He hated this. She was such a sweet kid, and seeing her so upset – even over something as petty as this – broke his heart.

“Shh, Charlotte. Please don’t cry,” he whispered into her soft blonde hair while gently trailing his fingers up and down her tiny spine.

“But I don’t like it when you leave,” she whimpered into his neck, then tightened her arms around him as if her entire life depended on it. Her little body shook as she continued to hiccup and sob.

“I know, kiddo.” He held her close. “I don’t like leaving either. But I’m coming back in just a couple of days, remember? For your birthday party?”

He really hoped the mention of her birthday party would cheer her up. What four (almost five) year old didn’t get excited over a birthday?

“That’s too far away,” she whined, proving him wrong, and nuzzled into his neck.

When he attempted, ever so gently, to peel her off of him, she instantly caught on, pouted a prolonged _no_ , and once again tightened her grip on him.

Bass breathed out an impatient sigh this time and tried not to laugh. Charlie had been doing this more and more lately – throwing a hysterical fit whenever his visits with her and her family came to an end. And as much as he hated to see her so miserable, her ever-growing crush on him was rather endearing.

“Charlie. Hey.” He tried again. “I promise, I’ll come back in just a couple of days. Okay? I’ll even bring you a special birthday present.”

She stilled for a moment but once again didn’t answer. Then, after some time, she lifted her little face from the crook of his neck and frowned at him. “You promise? You’ll come back?”

“I promise, sweetheart.” He gave her his most reassuring smile and pushed a few stray hairs away from her flushed cheeks, then swiped the pad of his thumb under her puffy eyes.

She still didn’t look convinced, her Matheson stubbornness on full display.

“Hey, you know I wouldn’t miss my favorite girl’s birthday.”

She continued to frown, but Bass watched as her face softened a bit after a while. “‘Bastian?”

“Yeah, kid?”

Charlie’s eyes dropped down to the neckline of Bass’s shirt as she absentmindedly began to toy with the soft cotton fabric. Her expression became preoccupied, making it clear that the wheels in her head were turning.

“What is it, Charlotte?” He coaxed when she failed to say what was on her mind.

Finally, she asked, “Can we get married?”

He snorted in response – a horrible reaction, he realized, when she flashed him a disapproving glare.

“It’s not funny!” She huffed, eyebrows knitting together in a tight scowl; suddenly, she looked a hell of a lot like her mother.

“I’m sorry. I just…uh…no one’s ever asked me that before.” Bass bit back a smile and kissed her on the forehead in an attempt to placate her.

Her little shoulders jutted up and down in a shrug before she returned to the task of studying the neckline of his shirt.“I’m gonna wear a pretty, white dress,” she quietly declared, “and put flowers in my hair. Pink ones. Or maybe red. And you have to wear a tie. And then when we’re married, we’ll be together all the time. We’re gonna live in the same house, like my mommy and daddy. Or like Grampa Gene and Grama Charlotte. Their house is always so fun, and Grama makes the best chocolate chip cookies and—”

“Whoa, okay. Slow down there, kiddo. I have to agree to all this first,” Bass reminded her, a smirk tugging at his lips.

She stopped her babbling and looked up at him with skeptically raised eyebrows. “Huh?”

He couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, usually when one person asks another person to marry them, that person has to accept the proposal.” 

Her face became thoughtful as she tilted her head to one side and tried to digest his words. Then she asked, “So…can we?”

He’d just barely said yes when Nora (Charlie’s babysitter for the evening) walked in and interrupted the moment.

“You’re still here?” She asked Bass. “I thought you left like a half hour ago?”

“Well, that was the plan. But then….” He shrugged, motioning to the bundle of squirming limbs in his arms.

“Nora! Nora! Guess what!” Charlie’s voice was vibrant now, her tears long forgotten.

“What’s up, sweetie?”

“I’m getting married!” She announced.

“You are?” Nora raised her eyebrows and smirked at Bass. “Who’s the lucky guy?”

“Noraaaa…” Charlie groaned incredulously. “It’s ‘Bastian! Duh!”

“Oh really?” Nora pretended to be surprised. “Well…congratulations to the happy couple. When’s the big day?”

Charlie shrugged and laid her head on Bass’s shoulder. “I dunno.”

“Well, honey, we’ll have to pick a date,” Bass teased. “We can’t get married if we don’t pick a date.”

“And you’ll need to send out invitations to all the people you want at your wedding,” Nora added.

At that, Charlie perked up. “Invitations? Oh! Oh! I know! Mommy just bought me new crayons. I have 64 colors!”

The next thing Bass knew, the newly energized kindergartner was wiggling in his arms, demanding that he put her down because she absolutely needed to start working on their wedding invitations.

 

\---

 

“Oh my God, this is too good.” Danny’s eating up this story the way a kid eats candy. “And I love that it was Charlie proposing to Bass and not the other way around. How modern and feminist of you, Charlie.”

“Well, she knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to go after it.” Bass grins. “It was pretty damn adorable.”

“You’re so full of shit, Monroe,” I defensively grump out, but the smile in my voice betrays me. “You’re probably making all of this up.”

“Oh, fuck that. This absolutely happened,” Bass vows. “Nora, you were there. Back me up.”

For the record, I legitimately _don’t_ remember this story. But something tells me Bass isn’t lying. And, while I don’t remember this specific story, I do remember wanting to spend all my time with Bass when I was little and getting pretty upset whenever he had to leave.

What? He was my childhood crush. We all have them. And then we get over them. Most of the time. Ahem.

 Suddenly, I’m really glad it’s dark, because my cheeks are on fire.

“You know, I still have mine,” Nora says.

I give her a puzzled look. “Have what?”

“The crayon wedding invitation we made. I’d actually forgotten all about it, but I found it in a box of old college stuff the other day while I was cleaning out our closet,” she explains. “My point is, yes, this really did happen.”

“Yeah, and you made everyone RSVP. Even me. To my own wedding,” Bass informs me.

I can’t help but laugh at that. That does sound like something I would have done as a child.

“So did it end with the invitation, or was there an actual wedding?” Danny’s eyes are bright with curiosity. Clearly, he enjoys watching me suffer through this story.

“Oh no, there most definitely was a wedding,” Nora giggles. “In this very backyard, in fact. On Charlie’s 5th birthday. I was the Maid of Honor, and the stylist, and the wedding coordinator.”

“And my date to the wedding.” Miles winks at his wife.

Danny gives our uncle a suspicious look. “How old was Nora back then?”

“19,” Nora laughs.

“Yeah.” Miles grins. “So it was legal. Gotta say, we had one hell of an after party, didn’t we?”

“Ew. Gross. I don’t wanna hear about that.” Danny shudders.

Nora gives Miles a playful smack on the shoulder. “Will you stop?” Then she sighs and turns back to the rest of us. “Now…where was I? Oh, yeah, I was gonna tell you about how adorable Charlie was while getting ready for her big day.”

 

\---

 

“Well,” Nora said as she secured the final bobby pin in Charlie’s hair. “What do you think?”

The little girl’s face lit up like a Christmas tree as she stared into the large oval mirror on her mother’s vanity and examined Nora’s handiwork. “I love it! It’s so pretty and perfect! Thank you, Nora!”

“You’re welcome.” Nora smiled, satisfied with her hairstyling skills. “I’m glad you like it. And thank you for being such a good girl and sitting still while I put all the flowers in your hair.”

An impish smile formed on Charlie’s face as she stared at Nora’s reflection in the mirror. “Nora?”

“Hm?”

Charlie bit her bottom lip. “Do you think ‘Bastian will like it?”

“Aw, kiddo, he’s gonna love it. You look beautiful,” Nora assured her. “Hey, but just remember…the most important thing here is that _you_ like how you look. Don’t ever get caught up in what some boy thinks of you, ok?”

Charlie was quiet for a moment, mind mulling over Nora’s words, before she nodded in compliance. “Okay. Is it time to see ‘Bastian yet?”

 

\---

 

“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever heard this part of the story,” Bass says while playfully kicking my foot. “Aww, you were all eager to see me.”

I roll my eyes and kick him back. “Don’t get too excited. I was five. Which means I just wanted to get through the wedding ceremony so I could get to the cake.”

“Sure.” Bass leans closer – so close that I can now feel his breath on my cheek. I shudder when he whispers in my ear, “If that’s what you need to tell yourself, Mrs. Monroe. ”

“Hey.” Just then, Danny snaps his fingers in our direction. “Quit flirting, you guys, and let Nora get back to the story. I wanna know what happened next.”

Bass and I jerk apart and frown at Danny.

“You think I’m flirting with this idiot?” I point my thumb at Bass.

Danny looks at me like I’ve just told the greatest lie of all time then gives a pointed look to Bass.

“Hey, don’t look at me. She started it.” Bass pokes me in the arm.

“What the fuck?” I glare at him. “What are you, like twelve?”

Nora laughs. “Will you morons pipe down already? Let me finish the story.”

 

\---

 

“Alright, here you go.” Nora handed the little girl her small bouquet of wildflowers. “You ready?”

“Ready!” Charlie’s smile was a mile wide as she accepted the bouquet and reverently slid her free hand along the white ruffled tulle on her dress. “I like my dress.”

“It’s very pretty,” Nora complimented, quite proud of herself for finding the item at a local consignment shop on such short notice. It was probably a flower girl’s dress in a previous life, but today, it belonged to the beautiful Bride/Birthday Girl. “So, listen. Your dad’s gonna hold your hand and walk you down the aisle, okay?”

“When do I get to see ‘Bastian?” Charlie pouted.

“Really soon,” Nora promised just as Ben came into the kitchen.

“They’re all ready out there,” he said. “Charlie, you look beautiful.”

“Thanks, Daddy. Is everybody here?”

“Everyone,” Ben confirmed. “Your mom, Uncle Miles, Grandpa and Grandma, Danny….”

Charlie’s blue eyes sparkled with anticipation. “Is ‘Bastian ready?”

“He sure is.” Ben smiled and took his daughter’s hand just as Miles started playing Bach’s _Prelude in D Major_ outside on his acoustic guitar.

 

\---

 

“Wait, seriously?” My face is skeptical as I stare across the now-dying fire at my uncle. “You? _You_ played Bach? Do you even know how to play Bach?”

“Hey, smartass, I can play Bach just fine,” Miles grouses.

“Interesting.” I nod slowly, happy to deflect the attention to Miles, even if it’s only temporary.

“And for the record, I wanted to play a Zeppelin song during the processional, but your dumb groom over there wouldn’t let me.” Miles nods at Bass.

“Yeah, but I let you play Zeppelin at the reception, didn’t I?” Bass counters.

I quirk an eyebrow at him and then at Miles. “There was a reception?”

“Of course there was,” Miles chuckles. He’s just about to launch into that part of the story when Danny interjects.

“Back up. I have a question.”

“Shoot.” Miles finishes off the last of his beer and sets the empty bottle in the grass near his feet.

“Who officiated this wedding?”

Danny’s question causes the other three to start snickering again.

“Gene did,” Miles says, and both my brother and I stare at him with matching shocked expressions.

“Are you serious?” Danny’s shoulders heave with silent laughter. “Grandpa Gene? Our Grandpa Gene?”

“The one and only. You guys know he actually considered becoming a minister for a while, right?” The smirk on Miles’s face is one of pure amusement.

My eyes meet Danny’s, and we both grimace. Grandpa Gene as a priest? I definitely can’t picture it.

“Anyway,” Danny exhales. “So this reception….”

“Yes, the reception,” Miles echoes before continuing on.

 

\---

 

“Where’s the booze?” Miles questioned as he sauntered into the Matheson kitchen. “I’m talking about the real stuff. Not that pussy light beer you’ve got outside, Rach.”

 

\---

 

“Typical Uncle Miles,” Danny interrupts again. “Starting the story off with the mention of booze.”

“Will you shut up?” Miles rolls his eyes. “I’m telling a story here.”

“Fine. Sorry.” Danny smirks. “Continue.”

 

\---

 

Miles was feeling a bit grumpy. He adored Charlie and was happy to make her birthday wish come true (absurd as it was – a wedding? Really? To Bass Monroe of all people?), but he’d been playing guitar for the past hour and a half straight – most of it songs that he didn’t even like, and he was tired.

(But Charlie really wanted live music. And not just any live music…she specifically asked for Disney songs.)

Miles was also really fucking sick of wearing a stupid suit while it was 90-some degrees outside, but the kid – err…Bride – had insisted that the Best Man/wedding musician dress in his best for her wedding.

Needless to say, Miles needed a break from the matrimonial festivities. Preferably one that involved air conditioning and hard liquor.

“I put the hard stuff away.” Rachel didn’t bother looking up from her task of cutting the birthday/wedding cake. “Sorry, Miles, but I don’t really want people getting drunk at my five year old’s birthday party-turned-wedding-celebration.”

“Perfect,” Miles groaned. “And let me guess: by people, you mean me.”

The corner of Rachel’s mouth twitched up into a crooked half-smile, but she neither confirmed nor denied his statement.

Miles sighed and settled in front of the kitchen window. He stared out at the party still underway outside, a smile forming on his lips in the process.

Charlie hadn’t left Bass’s side from the second she’d taken his hand at the altar nearly two hours ago. At the moment, she was curled up in his lap, her little arms possessively slung around his neck, head resting on his chest, while he sat in a lawn chair, chatting with Nora and Ben.

 

\---

 

“You know,” Miles says, looking thoughtfully between Bass and me. “The whole thing was kind of like at the Fourth of July picnic we had here last month. By the end of the night, Charlie, you were half asleep in his lap while we waited for fireworks. Maybe sitting on top of my best friend is just your thing?” His smile is subtle but wicked as he turns his attention fully toward Bass.

My eyes follow the same path as well, and I notice then that Bass suddenly looks very uncomfortable.

Miles doesn’t seem bothered by it (or, most probably, he doesn’t care) and continues, “Come to think of it – you looked like it didn’t bother you at all, brother, so maybe it’s sort of your thing, too?”

Bass splutters just a little, and I immediately feel heat rising up from my gut. I may not remember this whole childhood wedding/birthday thing, but I do remember sitting on Bass’s lap last month at that party. I’m pretty sure I was wasted, and he probably was, too, but it had felt so…right.

When Miles had come around and told us that the fireworks were going to start, I had gotten up, but just before we’d been interrupted, Bass had been rubbing my back and humming something softly in my ear.

I remember it felt amazing, and I remember not wanting the moment to end.

The summer air around us is suddenly rife with tension. No one is saying anything. Not even Danny, who never misses an opportunity to mercilessly tease me.

Everyone is just…quiet. The only sound around us is the soft, sporadic crackling of the fading fire.

I discreetly trail my gaze over to Bass. He’s staring at the glowing embers in the fire pit and has a weird, vacant look on his face. I’m sure he’s remembering the Fourth of July, and I find myself wanting to know what he thinks about all of it.

Did it feel right to him, too?

“Well, kids.” Miles’s voice eventually breaks us all out of our reveries.

I release a breath just then that I didn’t even know I was holding.

“It’s getting late.” Miles peels himself out of his chair and extends a hand to Nora. “We should probably get going.”

“Sure.” Nora places her hand in his and lets him pull her to her feet. Then she turns to me. “This was fun, Charlie. Happy Birthday again.”

“Thanks for coming,” I reply as I get up to give Nora and Miles each a hug.

My aunt and uncle say their goodbyes to Danny and Bass as well and soon, it’s just Danny, Bass, and me in the backyard. We work together to clean up the random empty beer bottles and other party trash that’s littered about, and I notice that Bass remains generally quiet as we work.

“Can you drive me home?” I ask my brother once we’re done cleaning up. “I’ve had too much to drink. Probably shouldn’t drive myself back.” 

“What? No. I don’t feel like driving. Just stay the night here. In your old room,” Danny answers.

“Danny, come on. Please?”

“I can drive you home,” Bass offers.

“What?” I whip my head around to look at him.

I don’t know why, but his offer totally throws me off. Which is stupid, really. He’s driven me home about a million times. But…I don’t know, I can’t explain it. Everything suddenly feels different.

“It’s on my way.” He shrugs.

“Yeah, it’s on his way,” Danny quickly agrees, his voice hopeful that I’ll let him off the hook.

“Fine,” I sigh, then smile at Bass, but the smile feels forced and a bit awkward. “Thanks, Bass.”

“No problem.” He smiles back, and I swear his smile is almost just as awkward as mine.

“You guys are acting weird,” Danny observes, eyes suspiciously narrowed. He glances at me, then at Bass, and then at me again. “I’m going inside. Happy Birthday, Charlie. See ya later, Bass.”

I watch, almost nervously, as my brother retreats into the house.

That tension from earlier feels about a million times stronger now that it’s just Bass and me in the backyard. It’s electric and unceasing and literally all around us, but I try my best to play it cool and offer him a wide, confident smile.

“Thanks for offering to drive me home,” I casually tell him. “I just need to go in and say goodnight to my parents, and then we can go.”

I’ve barely turned on my heels before Bass grabs my hand and yanks me toward him.

“What are y—” I’m mid-sentence when my chest collides with his, and before my mind can even comprehend what’s happening, his lips are crashing down on mine.

Holy fucking shit, he’s kissing me. Bass Monroe is _kissing_ me!

And goddamnit, the man can kiss.

His beard is delightfully ticklish against my face and his lips are firm and warm. He smells amazing and tastes a bit like the beer he was sipping earlier, and I instantly melt against him as his strong arms circle around my waist and pull me closer.

My hands end up in his hair, fingers threading into his soft curls, and I can’t help but moan when he deepens the kiss and teases my bottom lip with his tongue. He’s asking for permission, and I find myself eagerly granting it to him.

Our tongues meet, and I swear to God, it’s the raunchiest kiss I’ve ever received in my life. Jesus, if just kissing him feels like this, I can’t even imagine what it might feel like to have him buried inside my—

“Well, it’s about damn time, you two!”

The sound of my brother’s disruptive hollering feels like a gigantic bucket of ice water suddenly being dumped on me.

Bass and I jump apart and glare up at Danny’s second story bedroom window that overlooks the backyard. The little fucker is standing in his window, grinning like a maniac, while I stand here next to a panting, dumbfounded Bass, my own breath ragged, head spinning, and heart pounding.

“Get out of here!” I bark back.

“Leave room for Jesus!” Danny cackles before moving away from his window.

Oh my God, I am going to kill him!

I’m literally shaking – with annoyance, adrenaline, arousal…all of it – by the time I turn to look at Bass again, and I am positive that my face is now a bright shade of red.

He watches me for what feels like an agonizingly long minute, his gaze intense and hot, and then he starts to laugh. And honestly? I can’t help but laugh right along with him.

I only stop giggling when he slides his arm around my waist and pulls me close again. I swallow, feeling the butterflies in my stomach, and look up into his eyes.

He tucks a lock of my hair behind my ear and grins at me. “You don’t know how long I’ve been wanting to do that.”

“You and me both,” I admit and grin back. God, it feels good to be in his arms.

“What do you say we get out of here?” He suggests, his voice low and raspy. “I might have one more birthday present I wanna give you at your apartment.”

“How generous of you,” I flirt back.

“What can I say? I’m a very generous man,” he chuckles wickedly. “Let’s go.”

 

\----------------- 

 

We hardly talk in the car. A few words here and there, but that’s pretty much it. Bass has the stereo on, which at least helps fill the silence, but good God, this is torturous.

My entire body throbs with burning excitement, and at one point, I end up literally sitting on my hands in order to keep myself from reaching over and groping the man while he drives. His tightened jaw and the death grip he has on the steering wheel – white knuckles and all – tells me he’s in a very similar frame of mind.

I’m suddenly really grateful that I live less than ten minutes away from my parents’ house.

We don’t even bother unloading my gifts from his car once we arrive at my place and practically run up the stairs to my third-floor unit, giggling the whole way up.

Bass is on me the second we enter my apartment, his hands instantly everywhere. I barely have enough time to close the door before he picks me up and pins me to the wall.

“Someone’s impatient,” I tease, wrapping my arms and legs around him.

He just grunts something unintelligible and starts kissing me again ( _not_ that I’m complaining!).

Every inch of me feels like it’s on fire by the time my feet hit the floor again, and this time, I’m the impatient one as I grab him by his t-shirt and drag him down the hall to my room.

Once we reach our destination, we both kick off our shoes, and I immediately reach for his shirt, pushing away at the offending material and sighing in delight when my fingers come in contact with his rock hard abs. He helps me out by yanking his shirt off and tossing it to the floor.

“Damn,” I murmur, drinking in the sight of his gloriously naked upper half.

The man is beautiful. Like a living, breathing work of art. Like he’s been carved out of the most magnificent slab of marble. All tan and muscled and perfect. I cannot wait to touch and taste him.

“Your turn,” he says and reaches for my tank top. It soon joins his shirt on the floor.

I moan when his large hands reach for my breasts. I can feel my heart rate increasing as he loving kneads each mound over my bra and then guides me over to my bed.

I pull him down for a kiss while his hands slide under me and unclasp the hook of my bra. I shiver as he yanks down the straps and tosses the garment away. 

Bass continues to hover over me but pulls back a bit in order to study my newly exposed skin. His blue eyes are fierce and hot as they roam all over my mostly naked body. He looks like he’s ready to devour me. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever had a guy look at me with that kind of brutal intensity before. It’s like…he’s fucking me with his eyes, and I swear, if he doesn’t stop, I might come right here and now.

“God, you’re beautiful,” he hums.

“You, too,” I reply and attempt to pull him down for another kiss.

But he has other plans. Instead of meeting my lips, he leans down and kisses my neck, then begins to work his way down. He licks and sucks and gently bites down on my pulse point, then continues his quest further south.

My chest is heaving and I’m full on panting by the time his lips and tongue surround one of my nipples. His hand covers my other breast, thick fingers expertly twisting that nipple till it stands perfectly erect.

“Oh my God, that feels so good,” I whimper, sliding my fingers into his hair.

He smiles against my skin in response. He then slides his warm lips down the length of my stomach till he reaches the waistband of my shorts. “These have got to go,” he tells me before sitting up and unbuttoning my shorts.

I lift my ass off the bed so he can slide my shorts over my hips, and soon that article joins the rest of our clothing on the floor. I’m left in just my panties, but not for long, because Bass works quickly to rid me of those as well.

And then his fingers are on me, sliding between my already wet folds, and I swear to God, I almost combust the second he touches me.

“Fuck,” he rasps out. “You’re already drenched, Charlotte.”

I moan in response, far too overwhelmed by the feel of his hands on me to form coherent words. But it dawns on me then that he’s still wearing his pants, and that, as far as I’m concerned, is a problem.

I hate to make him stop what he’s doing, but I also really need him to be fully naked. So I push him off of me and get him on his back. “Time for me to finish unwrapping my birthday present.” I grin at him, and he laughs while I work on his belt buckle.

A quiet gasp escapes my lips when I get him out of his pants and boxers, watching in wonder as his cock springs free. Fuck. He’s huge. And already totally hard. 

I bite my bottom lip and reach out to wrap my fingers around him, stroking him from base to tip. My heart fills with awe at the way he groans under my touch.

“Oh…baby, yeah. Just like that,” he sighs as I continue to stroke up and down. His eyes are closed, and he begins to gently thrust into my hand.

And then all of a sudden, he pops his eyes open, his glare harsh and needy, and yanks my hand away from him.

I give him a confused frown, wondering if maybe I’ve done something wrong, but then he’s reaching for me, and I realize what he wants.

“Get up here,” he commands.

He doesn’t need to tell me again. I straddle him without question and prepare to sink down on him.

We both groan together as his warm, spongy cockhead slips past my slippery entrance. Did I mention he’s huge? I’m not joking. He’s huge. So huge that I cry out as he fills my pussy inch by inch.

“Jesus, Charlie. You’re so tight.” He sinks his fingertips into my hips. “I'm not hurting you, am I?”

“No.” I shake my head. “I’m perfect.”

Satisfied with my response, Bass begins to thrust up into me as we work together to find a rhythm we both like. I lean down and kiss him, my tongue making love to his, while he wraps his arms around me and continues to hammer into my velvety heat. He has one hand in my hair and the other on my ass as he kneads my fleshy cheek and whispers into my ear.

Maybe it’s the position we’re in. Maybe it’s the way he’s whispering and telling me how good I feel or how beautiful I am. Or maybe it’s the fact that I’ve known this man my entire life and the fact that I trust him more than just about anyone else. Whatever the case, this is hands down the most erotic _and_ the most loving sexual experience I’ve ever had. It blows my mind how well Bass and I fit together. And I can only hope that this isn’t a one-time thing.

Bass lets go of me and takes each of my hands. He interlocks his fingers with mine and pushes me back up into an upright position, then picks up the pace.

I roll my hips harder against his. I can tell he’s getting close. So am I.

After a moment, he lets go of one of my hands and drags his thumb over my clit. And that’s when I shatter. My back arches, and I throw my head back. His name leaves my lips in a harsh, throaty cry as my orgasm rips through me.    

Bass’s movements are firm and incessant as he works me through each shuddery contraction. I can feel my pussy walls fluttering around him and am so consumed by the intense pleasure of the moment that I don’t even realize Bass is trying to get my attention until he barks out my name a second time.

“About to come, babe,” he says, sucking in a sharp breath.

I seductively roll my hips and smile at him. “So go for it.”

He looks at me like I’m nuts, and I giggle.

“Please? I want it.” I roll my hips again.

He pulls me down for a desperate, needy kiss, and I moan against his mouth as he empties his hot load into my depths.

We eventually collapse together, sweaty skin on sweaty skin, both of us panting wildly as we work to catch our breath.

“Damn,” Bass swallows. “Now _that_ is how you celebrate a birthday.”

I giggle and nod against his throat. “Uh…yeah. Best birthday ever.”

“I told you I was the best damn gift giver, didn’t I?” He teases.

“Hey, no arguments there.”

He rolls us over and pulls out of me, then wraps his arms around me again as I snuggle up to his chest. “But you know,” he says. “It doesn’t have to be your birthday in order for me to give you gifts like that.”

My heart lurches as I lift my head and look into his eyes. 

He offers me one of his famous dimply smiles. “Besides, it’s about damn time we consummated our marriage, don’t you think?”

I snort at his comment and sit up. “Yeah, I guess we did wait an awfully long time. Which means we should probably do it again. And again. And a bunch more times to make up for all the time we lost.”

His eyes glitter with mischief. “I’d say you’re right, Mrs. Monroe,” he says before capturing my lips with his.

 

\-----------------  

 

Three months later, we consummate our marriage again. Our real marriage, that is.

We have a simple wedding in my parents’ backyard, surrounded by all the people we love most. Miles and Nora reprise their roles of Best Man and Matron of Honor, and Grandpa Gene actually makes the effort to get credentialed so he can officiate the ceremony for real.

During the reception, it’s Danny’s new girlfriend, Riley, who catches the bouquet, which, of course, leads to endless amounts of teasing from the Matheson clan. I feel a bit bad for Riley, but I’m sure she’ll learn soon enough that that’s just how the Mathesons express our affection for one another.

After the wedding, Bass and I spend two weeks honeymooning in Hawaii with the intention of doing a lot of sun bathing, swimming, and surfing (Bass is really into surfing, and I’ve always wanted to learn), but the truth is, we end up barely leaving our hotel room. Which, I decide, is perfectly fine by me. Hawaii is amazing, but riding my hot husband is way more fun than riding the Pacific Ocean waves.

**\- THE END -**

 

**A/N: A great big thank you to monroe-militia for helping me brainstorm this idea, and a huge thanks to LemonSupreme for previewing portions of this fic as I was writing it and helping me along whenever I got stuck. This one was a lot of fun to write, and I really hope you all enjoyed it. If you did, please drop a comment, because, as you know, comments are fuel for this writer's soul. :D**


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